Valentine
by KInviere
Summary: Hook asks Emma to be his Valentine.


**Valentine**

It was a cold February morning, and Emma Swan was wishing desperately that she had chosen to drive to work. She pulled her coat around her tightly and quickened her pace. There was a daunting amount of paperwork waiting for her on her desk, and Emma was in no rush to get to it. So she decided to stop in at Granny's for some cocoa.

The diner was pretty dead when she got there. The whole place had been transformed for Valentine's Day, and there were hearts and cupids everywhere. Emma rolled her eyes at the sea of pink and red around her. She hated this holiday. She was convinced that Hallmark and Hershey's had plotted together to come up with a holiday to put pressure on those who were 'lucky' enough to have someone to share the day with, and make those who were alone feel extra lonely. Sales would spike from both groups.

Emma sat down at the counter and waited. Not long after, Ruby walked out from the back carrying a box of even more decorations. Seeing Emma, she set the box down and greeted her friend with a warm smile.

"Hey Emma! What brings you in so early?"

"You know me Ruby; can't resist your hot chocolate. Especially not in this weather," Emma replied, looking over her shoulder to the windows. It honestly looked like it could snow at any second.

"Ok, just let me put these over there on the table and I'll have one hot chocolate with cinnamon coming up!" Ruby said, gesturing to the box on the floor.

Emma nodded with a smile. It was beyond her how Ruby could be so cheerful and excited at this hour.

A moment or so later and Emma heard the door swing open.

"Good morning, Captain," Ruby said in her usual chipper voice. Emma put her head in her hands. It was too early for this, for _him_.

"And good morning to you, lass. You've done a brilliant job preparing the establishment for the upcoming celebrations of romance."

"Thanks!" Ruby responded. Emma could tell without looking that the girl was blushing, and it made Emma feel uneasy.

"I quite like the idea of this holiday. Lovers celebrating their love, sweethearts sharing their deeper feelings, flirtations turning into more… It's a lovely concept. And what, if it's not too bold to ask, are your plans for the festival? Surely a lovely lass such as yourself has her eyes on someone special?"

Ruby giggled, "Maybe I do…" she said with a small smirk. "Victor asked me to dinner."

"Well, I wish you and the doctor a lovely Valentine's."

Emma was trying so hard to take this seriously, but it was just too much. The pirate had jumped in front of a car just weeks ago, and now he was all 'love is in the air'? She decided that even her paperwork seemed more appealing.

"Hey Ruby, can that hot chocolate be to go?" Emma hoped that she hadn't drawn attention to herself. The last thing she wanted was to tell Hook that she'd be spending Valentine's alone eating chocolate and watching TV. The same thing she did every year.

"Emma, love, I was just about to come find you!" Hook said with a broad grin, his ocean blue eyes gleaming.

Emma rolled her eyes. "And why is that?" The way he was looking at her, it was hard for her to stay annoyed.

"Well, darling, it would appear that tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and if you don't already have a Valentine, I'd love it if you'd do me the honor of being mine." He gave her a hopeful smile as he pulled a single red rose from inside of his coat. He extended the flower to Emma.

Emma just froze, blinking repeatedly, her lips parted slightly as a result of her jaw dropping. Was Captain Hook asking her out on a date? For Valentine's Day!?

"Is that a no…?" Hook looked as though he might just deflate. He started to retract the flower hesitantly. _Maybe this was a huge mistake._

"N…no. I mean no, it's not a no. I mean yes, well, sure really. I… I'm not really…" Emma couldn't think straight. She took a deep breath. "Let me try that again." She reached out and accepted the rose, "I would be happy to, um, be your valentine." She felt like she was 16 and red as the rose he had given her. "But just that. Valentine's dinner. We'll meet here, 8 p.m. Don't get your hopes up for this to… change anything." And with that, Emma quickly stood up and walked out of the diner without another word.

Emma had spent all of the rest of the day shifting through papers and pretending to work. The next day, she didn't bother to go in and had asked David to cover for her. She wasn't sure why, but she was a bundle of nerves. This wasn't a real date, she had just said yes because… she was still working on figuring that part out. But as she got ready, her gaze was drawn over to the red rose sitting in a vase on her nightstand.

She arrived at Granny's at five 'til eight. It looked deserted, to her surprise. She wasn't sure what to expect, but it would be interesting for certain.

"You are stunning, Emma Swan."

Emma turned, startled by the pirate who had a funny habit of sneaking up behind her. He was wearing his usual leather duster, but he had on a beautiful red vest underneath. Emma hated to admit it, but he looked really good.

"Thanks," Emma said, sheepishly.

"Shall we, then?" Hook asked, extending his arm to Emma.

"I think we may need to make other plans, the diner is closed or something. Not sure why."

"Oh, I think they'll make an exception." He said with a wink, again offering her his arm. She linked her arm through his and allowed him to lead her to the door. He knocked with his hook three times, and to Emma's surprise, Ruby answered. "Aw, Ms. Lucas. I believe we have a reservation for two."

"Right this way, Captain," and with that Ruby led them into the dark diner. She flipped a switch on the wall after they entered, and the sight that met Emma's eyes took her breath away.

There were red and pink and white flowers everywhere: roses, and dahlias, and tulips, and lilies, and daisies. The aroma was intoxicating. And there were boxes and boxes of every kind of chocolate Emma could imagine: Ghirardelli, Lindt, Toblerone, Godiva. There were also baskets spread out with bath salts and bubble baths and lotions. And in the center of it all, a table was set for two. There was an extra chair that held a large teddy bear, a vase with a single red rose, and candles.

"What do you think, lass?" Emma turned, and Hook was smiling brightly at her.

Emma wanted to put up her defenses, say something sarcastic and snarky, but no one had ever done something like this for her. "Hook… It's beautiful."

"I hope you don't mind I made a private reservation for the evening. I wanted our first date to be special."

He had gone to so much trouble, and all of it for her? Emma had no idea how to respond.

"May I take your coat, love?" Hook asked, still beaming at her. Emma took off her black coat, to reveal the tight little red dress she had chosen for the date. This was the same dress she had worn on her last date; however, that 'date' had been for her job as a bounty hunter. Not at all romantic. Not at all like this.

"Gods, Emma…" Hook looked her up and down. Her golden curls cascading over her shoulders, the red dress, her rosy lips, her stormy eyes beneath her dark lashes, and the way she was blushing under his gaze. "You are a vision."

"You look pretty good yourself, Captain," Emma said with a small smile, hoping she didn't sound as juvenile as she felt. She was terrible at romance. She had never gotten the practice. "You didn't have to do all of this, you know."

"I know, lass. But, love really has been all too rare in your life. I wanted you to know that that was going to change."

Dinner was perfect. Conversation flowed as though they had been best friends all their lives. Hook had been a perfect gentleman. After the meal, they thanked Granny, and Hook promised to have all of his presents for Emma picked up and delivered to her apartment first thing tomorrow morning. He then helped her into her coat, and escorted her home.

"I probably shouldn't ask, but how did you afford all this?" Emma asked, feeling dumb the moment the words left her lips.

"First of all, you can ask me anything. And secondly, you'd be surprised what a little treasure can get you here," he said with a chuckle.

They reached her doorstep. Emma's heart was pounding in her chest.

"I do hope you enjoyed yourself, Emma. I'd love it if we could do this again." Hook gave her a hopeful grin.

"It was wonderful. Thank you for everything." Emma said. He really did seem to care for her. It was more than him just wanting her physically; he seemed to want all of her. And as scared as that made her, Emma didn't want it to stop. "Happy Valentine's Day, Killian," Emma said, and then she leaned forward and placed a tentative, chaste kiss to his lips.

Killian just stood there, frozen in his bliss. She smiled back at him before slipping behind the door, leaving him alone in the frosty night air.

"Happy Valentine's indeed."


End file.
